Moving to Arizona from South Korea
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Korea to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Korea to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 55.0% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩99,000,000 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly $116,000 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 63°F in Seoul, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Arizona cheaper than South Korea?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 22.6% less
Transportation
pay 10.9% more
Housing
pay 2.8 times more
Childcare
pay 34.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Arizona?
What does your salary buy?
₩99,000,000 → $116,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Arizona cost about 35% more than cities in South Korea.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Arizona
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from South Korea to Arizona.
people moved from South Korea to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
11.1,038,778
South Korea
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to South Korea.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
South Korea performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
South Korea performs better than Arizona across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Arizona generally does better on employment & economy, though South Korea leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
South Korea performs better than Arizona across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2016), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Arizona vs South Korea
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seoul | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
National Weather Service
Can you move from South Korea to Arizona?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
South Korea passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting South Korea
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than South Korea?
On average Arizona is around 55% pricier than South Korea, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $29,000 for 3 months in Arizona (based on a ₩99,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Arizona?
From major Arizona cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Korea and Arizona are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to South Korea?
South Korea performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Arizona?
The official language in Arizona is English. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
